Tag Archives: food banks

25 Twitter accounts to follow in 2014 on welfare reform – the first 10

We’ve compiled a list of 25 useful Twitter accounts if you want to follow welfare reform. In this post we reveal the first 10…

1. Joseph Rowntree Fdn.  @jrf_uk,   @Helen_Barnard

Helen Barnard is Research Programme Manager at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), the social research policy charity of Quaker origins.

The JRF conducts a range of research into welfare issues, and created the MIS, the Minimum Income Standard, estimating what is an adequate income based on what the public believe to be minimum living standards.

2. ResolutionFoundation @resfoundation

Living standards report Look out for the launch of their study The State of Living Standards 2014 on February 11th. Continue reading 25 Twitter accounts to follow in 2014 on welfare reform – the first 10

The respectful charity shop built on social franchising

craftgoodsThe Trussell Trust has reason to feel proud about spreading its humanitarian vision, stepping in to give three days of crisis food nationwide. It is a vision that David McAuley said his fantastic team buys into and one that has also caught the interest of groups around the country.

The uptake of their simple food bank model, what Mr McAuley called a ‘social franchise’ has seen their goal for 200 food banks opening this year, approach a total of 400. Continue reading The respectful charity shop built on social franchising

Savage times, but food banks act to put bread on the table

Tescos collection Many supermarket customers dropped food donations into Tesco trolleys over the weekend for those UK people struggling with food poverty. The traditional habit of feeding the birds snippets seems to be replaced with more serious concerns.

The Trussell Trust’s national food collection across 3000 Tescos stores on the busiest weekend of the year meets an urgent need, as benefit changes continue to hurt vulnerable people. Rising living costs have pushed many over their financial limits.

Food banks are seeing a 7% increase in people coming with benefit-related issues

David McAuley, director of operations for the Trussell Trust, stopped at the Salisbury Tesco Metro. He said that since April their 400 food banks have seen a 7% increase in people coming with benefit-related issues.

With the need to remedy this as soon as possible, he said:

“The big thing at the minute is where is the Defra report on Food poverty?”

Mr McAuley was visiting stores across Hampshire and Dorset to see how the collections were going. Continue reading Savage times, but food banks act to put bread on the table